Your Life Not Your Words

11/10/1999

You can only train children in the ways of God as much as you see and value and live the ways of God yourself.

“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” This isn’t about telling them true, historical works and words of God. This is about sharing with them the wonders of the universe and their God. It is about requiring them to live lives “in order” with God and His Ways. It is about training them in submission, respect, obedience, and even “happy”-ness, giving, loving, etc.

A student fully trained becomes like his teacher. Who you are will affect everyone and everything you touch with 10 times the potency of your words. You can only train children in the ways of God as much as you see and value and live the ways of God yourself. Consecration and gifting are two different things. You don’t lack any good thing as you lose your life into the Body of Christ and the Purposes of God. When you do this, your children are not limited to the exposure of your own personal gifting. But it is not gifting that creates limitations here, it is the devotion and consecration of your heart and life that affects them. So, the abandonment of your heart and life to Jesus and His Plan, and the degree to which you allow yourself to be absorbed into the Body, will have a much greater affect on the children than will the words or knowledge you proclaim.

“Man does not Live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” We need to be connected to the Head in order to properly discern when a child is rebellious versus insecure. Either case may be wrong and/or disobedient but how we handle one versus another is different. We need the wisdom that comes from above. Anointed, gifted insight into each individual heart and life is necessary when we want to shape lives for Him. Our connection to the Head goes hand-in-hand with our connection to the Body.